When Good Marketing Goes Bad

Sometimes in the attempt to attract maximum attention to their brand, marketers cross the line between what’s tasteful and what’s just downright bad. Here are some examples.

Does anyone know what this offer is actually for? All the “singles” and “doubles” just leave the reader confused. Simplicity and clarity are key elements of any communication campaign, and this one lacks both.

This advert is wrong on so many levels, but at the time it seemed perfectly acceptable for small children to drink fizzy drinks. Of course, today we know differently and so our perception of the campaign has evolved with awareness. Your marketing needs to be memorable, but for the right reasons.

Sometimes it’s not the marketing itself, it’s how it’s positioned. This juxta positioning of an advert for childhood obesity with an advert for a fast food chain is very ill-conceived.

Here is another older advert that seemed just fine at the time, but as society evolves we look back and shudder. Photographing babies wrapped in cellophane is probably not the smartest marketing move ever.

And finally, it’s probably not a good idea to use an image of a horse to advertise a butchery, especially considering the horse meat scandals that have been doing the rounds over the past few months.

(Slideshow) Marketing on the Move

Now here’s a marketing idea that’s truly mobile. And it doesn’t entail driving a branded vehicle. Drivemotion is a car gadget that allows drivers to communicate with each other with a remote controlled LED display that attaches inside your rear car window (facing the driver behind).